| Are you worried about global warming? Are you | | | | to keep warm on cold nights. That raises the cost |
| worried about the price of food? Do you love | | | | of your food and the cost to the environment. A |
| eating fresh vegetables from your own garden? | | | | solar greenhouse is designed to store its heat, so |
| These are all excellent reasons to grow your own | | | | it can stay warm enough all night, or for a few |
| vegetables. If you want to grow vegetables | | | | cloudy days, if need be. |
| throughout the year you'll need a greenhouse, | | | | So how to build your own greenhouse? There are |
| unless you live in one of the warmer climates. | | | | not any really good greenhouse kits for solar |
| Everyone that has eaten fresh corn on the cob | | | | greenhouses. You have to build from scratch, but |
| or tomatoes, that were picked that day, know | | | | there are some good plans available. |
| that what you buy pales in comparison. Many | | | | Principles of a good solar greenhouse |
| refuse to eat the store bought stuff again. Not as | | | | - Insulate the roof and at least the north wall, and |
| many people have had fresh kale. I don't know | | | | perhaps the east and west walls. |
| anybody who does not grow kale and likes it. It | | | | - Use double glazing, whether you you glaze your |
| only tastes good fresh. A friend of mine gave me | | | | greenhouse with glass or polycarbonate. |
| a baby kale plant last year, and I effused about | | | | - Provide thermal storage. Water is the most |
| how much I like kale. He said, "That can't be kale, | | | | practical way to store heat. Most low cost solar |
| I hate kale, and I like that stuff." Not only does | | | | greenhouses use barrels or oil drums, filled with |
| home grown food taste better, it is more | | | | water, for heat storage. |
| nutritious as well. | | | | - Make sure your thermal storage is in direct sun |
| So what about global warming? Most of the | | | | for as long as possible |
| produce we buy comes from thousands of miles | | | | - Paint the insides of your greenhouse white, to |
| away. All that transportation pollutes our air and | | | | increase light reflection onto your plants. Paint |
| worsens the the global warming problem Also the | | | | your thermal storage black to absorb more heat. |
| methods used in commercial farming are harder | | | | - Orient your greenhouse so that its longest wall |
| on our environment, including the atmosphere. | | | | faces south. Tilt the south wall so that it faces |
| So why does your greenhouse need to be a solar | | | | the Winter sun. |
| greenhouse? Isn't a greenhouse already solar? | | | | Those are the basics. Of course it can get much |
| Most greenhouses warm up when the sun is | | | | more complicated. Of course, before you get |
| shining on them, but quickly lose their heat when | | | | started, you will want to read more on the |
| the sun disappears. Most commercial greenhouses | | | | specifics of building a greenhouse, and in particular |
| and many hobby ones have supplemental heaters | | | | a solar greenhouse. Good luck and happy growing. |